


caffeinated secrets

by tpwkthetommoway (shmaptainshmericano)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No One Direction, Angst and Feels, Baristas, Cliche, Cute, Fluff and Angst, Harry Styles Loves Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are Saps, Larry Stylinson Is Real, Louis Tomlinson Loves Harry Styles, Milkshakes, No Smut, Non-Famous Harry, Non-Famous Louis Tomlinson, Sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:59:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25700209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shmaptainshmericano/pseuds/tpwkthetommoway
Summary: This is another whimsical tale that had no logic behind its existance except the concept of destiny, another awkward anecdote, a sloppy romance of shared milkshakes that bring together two humans, allowing the world to bend to their needs as they twist into each other's lives.ORAn au where harry has his first date with Louis in a coffee shop and it becomes a sanctuary for them.It's a Larry fic but you don't know it's a Larry fic until the end so pretend you don't know who Harry is on a date with ....
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	caffeinated secrets

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not the best at summaries but hopefully the story makes up for it! Happy reading and have a great day stranger!

Here we go again, another whimsical tale that had no logic behind its existance except the concept of destiny, another awkward anecdote, a sloppy romance of shared milkshakes, the young naïve couple’s noses bumping as they manoeuvred the glass to fit between them as they shared a drink, the man on the right clearly phased by the amount of sugar he was inhaling, his nose scrunching but the sparkle from his eye never fading as he stared at the person in front of them, their eyes shut as they relished the momentary bliss the vanilla concoction brought upon them. There was an aura of an undeniable cliché amongst them, sickeningly sweet as they were lost in their own world, an outsider’s view nothing more than a few pages of their story. Some days were harsh, when they would huddle in a booth, the city being opened to the sudden sorrows of the sky, the downpour austere and agonizing as people fled in terror and urgency, seeking warmth in the small corner café as the heaters were cranked up to battle the cold the weather was throwing at them. The strangers had their bodies pressed against each other, greedily absorbing any heat the other had to offer as they sat like frightened kittens in the far wall side of their booth, barely mustering the courage to smile as one of the baristas would place two steaming mugs of tea as an extended courtesy for the damsels caught in the midst of the sky’s raging tantrum. Maybe it was the milkshake that drew the tall, curly haired boy with infatuating green eyes back to the café, or maybe it was the person who constantly waited for him, hiding their hopeful blue eyes behind their brunette fringe that was arguably a shade lighter than the tall guy’s.

There were days when the two lovers would abandon their designated booth for a while, letting the fresh air deluge around them outside, the soft tunes of the café barely making it past the front door, the street nearly empty as they would stand in the middle of the asphalt, their touches gentle as they held onto each other, their feet carrying them in sync to the tune pouring out of the man’s mouth, his green eyes shining as they met the blue of his partner’s, a song clearly meant for them and no one else as they swayed in the mild drizzle, the world granting them clemency, their sorrows and worries inexistent for the moment, instead creating a memory that the passerby’s either smiled or scowled at, their variating judgements ineffective to the moods of the two strangers. The scene seemed so false, almost a pro setup, every trail of rainwater that fell upon them reflecting the full moon peeping through the buildings, them fitting together like puzzle pieces, their laughter stretching on for miles as the man lifted the other in his arms, nuzzling his face in the exposed crook of their neck, a sudden comfortable silence falling upon them before they made their way inside, ordering their usual and tucking into the small booth that had unofficially become theirs. 

There were days when they would come in with heavy eyelids and sagged figures, distress painted upon their faces in a clear abstract, their smiles, however, still planted on their faces, small but sure, as they would make their booth a study space, books and papers littering the wooden surface, small bits of brown peeking out through them before they would get enclosed with coffee mugs, neither moving as they tucked themselves in their corners, their eyes meeting every once in a while as they would share a look, a disgustingly sweet glance as the world would drown, turning into a settling storm whilst they remained unaffected in the eye, around them, time no longer an essence, as they would share a quick embrace, often turning into something more before they grudgingly agreed on focusing on their work. Their tired faces would be floodlit by the harsh blue glow of their laptops, groans escaping as they stretched their arms above their heads before ordering more coffee to power them through their coursework. Occasionally the man would slip into his partner’s side of the booth, peering over his work like he was critiquing whatever the other person was busy typing out, before letting out a fond smile and whispering something into their ear, lingering enough to place a small peck on their forehead before continuing with his own work. 

There were also days when there was more than just whispers and stares, where they would laugh obnoxiously at each other, the man leaning forward as he told a joke, causing the other person to throw their head back and chuckle as tears threatened to spill out, the man still leaning forward as he clutched his stomach from laughing too hard. No one ever had the heart to complain against them, knowing the rare sight of genuine adoration wasn’t something people always saw, the world being too raw and full of hatred for constant signs of happiness to power through. Some days, one or the other would walk with a different person, sometimes both of them with a group, none of the others lingering long enough to sit, almost like they knew the connotation of the hidden café to the two. 

There were smiles, tears and memories exchanged, an occasional fight settled, a moment shared, each adding more life to the place, the wall next to the booth having a small H+L engraved into it, almost as if they were teenagers rather than the 25 year old adults they were trapped in, the baristas having noticed but making no comment on the small act of vandalism that was no more than a mark to signify the importance of ones existance with the other. Everyone had become accustomed to their favourite customers, having to barely make a swift eye contact before they knew what the two were in the mood for, whether it be a specific drink or just plain Yorkshire tea that they had because the man had once requested it for their partner and they didn’t sell any for the time being, a guilty and terrified look shared between the baristas, afraid the setback could cost them their favourite customers. They had what most people wither away without, what most of humanity chases for most of their limited lives, only to end up cornered with the brutal reality of heartache and denial. 

However everything must come to an end at some point, stars die and leaves wither, and the world is left picking up the broken pieces of broken hearts...

A few weeks had passed and neither of the pair had come back, leaving the locals confused and concerned with the impulsive disruption in their pattern. Then slowly months withered by, winter faded and summer was in full force, the blazing heat having forced the baristas to retire to their coolers that sucked the life out of the café, the loud whirs of the internal fans drowning out all the chatter, and that’s when the small blue eyed figure walked in, bundled up in clothes that were worthy of causing them a stroke, a new silence filling the space save the loud coolers before it was cut off with the squeak of rubber wheels against tiles, the taller man wheeling in what looked like an IV tube, the pouch attached to it as a string trailed through it, reaching the smaller person as it was attached to their arm. 

The person went to the vacant booth, one with all the secrets and inside jokes, the taller man following, the routine seeming familiar, like it had been done a hundred times before. The man smiled, the fondness still glistening in his green eyes, looking down and meeting blue, like they did months ago, exhaustion peering through the smile as he set the IV stand next to booth, careful not to disturb the other person’s peace before walking over to the counter, the baristas already ready with their drinks before the words could escape his mouth. He outstretched his hand to pay, getting politely denied, assuring him that this was on them, a grateful thanks passing through his lips like a prayer, like this act of kindness was what he needed, and maybe he did, but he wasn’t going to admit to it, atleast not just yet, not when the person was waiting in the booth, awaiting the kisses and words they were so used to sharing in the privacy of their booth, where no consequences laid. 

Hours passed by, a familiarity settling within the space, their laughter infatuating as the baristas hid their smiles while working on the streaming customer orders, an occasional chuckle passing as people caught wind of the corny jokes that tumbled out from the man in the booth, the same dorky expression on the other person’s face as they rolled their eyes in adoration and also annoyance. For a moment, life went on the way it always had, when the strangers were locals that everybody knew, when they were full of life, always carrying a tiny ray of sunshine wherever they went. There was no more than a fleeting resemblance of the carefree souls left, days being washed into years as the man’s eyes held heavy bags beneath them, his partner looking small and fragile as they slouched in their booth, tugging at the tube that could possibly their lifeline before the man noticed and gently engulfed the person’s significantly smaller palms in his large ones, the smile on his face momentarily faltering before it was back, the sparkle shining with certainty in his eyes, like it knew he had been missing it. 

They stayed in the café way past their closing time, none of the workers having the heart to kick out the one constant source of joy that had become part of them, letting them live out their fantasy as they shared their milkshake over hushed whispers, a blush rising on their cheeks whenever one would slip in a compliment, dimples carved and smiles creating crinkles beside their eyes, long after there was no soul left to witness their swift exchanges and meaningful pecks. They were moments away from closing up and having the regretful confrontation that would end the mood created, before the man walked up to the barista, the smaller person trailing behind him, an unexpected shyness hinted from them as the person approached the counter, the man standing behind with an encouraging smile, and that’s when I heard the words, the counter I was wiping up forgotten, the string of sentences that shaped up fate to take me on the path it did, and why I wrote this for the world to know, because keeping it to myself would be a selfish deed, the last words of Louis Tomlinson forever embedded in this simple piece of paper, the tale getting lost within the constant stream of stories and tales published every day, except this was no tale, just the raw truth of the two boys who fell in love at the small café that was barely visible to anyone who wasn’t looking for it, a silent space where people found themselves, the initials L and H forever holding a place in the painted bricks amongst other anecdotes left behind by various people. He was a mystery only Harry could unravel, the nameless boy thriving on the idea of a hidden persona, an influence to the world, a kindred spirit who didn’t mind giving his heart to people, analysing their movements as they slowly unravelled the mystery boy, hence why his gender was innominate, a clandestine that he would have loved to invest in.

My hands trembled as the smaller man who now had a name, no longer just an initial or a nickname in my head that he usually identified himself with in the café, brought me in for a hug, his weak arms still trapping me tightly in his embrace as he whispered in my ear, “Thanks to you all here I will leave knowing what love and acceptance feels like, thank you for making every day of my life worth fighting for so I could come back here with Harry and just be plain old Louis,” at this point his attention wasn’t on me anymore, much rather on the taller boy who looked so vulnerable as the overhead light shone on him, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, the sentiment making Louis chuckle before he finished off. ‘Thank you for being a solitude, a slight rift between dreams and reality, thank you thank you thank you.’ He let out a quiet sob, pulling me into another hug, before he went around and hugged all the other workers, thanking them for the small role of significance they played in his life, the nameless man now an identity within me that would never leave, as I gave a small sympathetic smile to Harry, a slight tinge of confusion evident on my face as he mouthed the one word that I should have foreshadowed, the two syllables that made my blood run cold in its trail. ‘’Cancer.”

**Author's Note:**

> If ur still reading on I love you. Thank you for sticking this far.. I'm aware this isn't in any way a really great or complex fic and it's really small too so uhm I'm sorry about that I guess....annnyywayysss if by any chance u DID like it please leave a kudos :>  
> Also don't hesitate to leave ur feedback in the comments I would love some insight...okay ily bye :)
> 
> Tumblr= @ 1dstanner


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